Davis Breweries

Sudwerkbrew.com — Probably the best local brewery around, specializing in German beers and a number of contemporary West-Coast-style craft lagers.

Area Breweries

Berryessa Brewing Company — A mile or two west of Winters, right on Highway 128, this place has one of the best IPAs in existence. Their IPA is frequently found on tap in Davis and elsewhere in the region; the other beers are less common. Look for a tap handle shaped like a chain.

Pyramid Alehouse — Another Sacramento brewery and restaurant, part of a chain. Beer not brewed on premises anymore.

Substantially above average food and beer. Most of the recipes use at least one of their beers in the sauces, glazes, batters, etc. Pyramid has the best hot wings I've ever had. If you haven't been, it's well worth the trip. Also a great place to have a wedding reception :) —TomGarberson

Rubicon Brewing Company Possibly the best craft brewery in the region. Located in Midtown Sacramento (Capitol and 20th), they have good pub food and awesome beer. Service can be iffy but it's worth it.

Ruhstaller Brewing Company- Several of their beers are available in local markets, including both Nugget Markets in Davis. The brewery and tap room are located in Downtown Sacramento on K St. The tap room is in a basement area, so you'll need to look closely for the entrance (think: 1920s speakeasy-style hideaway)

Sierra Nevada — Located in Chico, one of the nicest (from a brewer's perspective) breweries in the world. Well worth the pilgrimage.

I was here recently for lunch. The food was sub-mediocre but a pitcher of IPA, five (5!) twelve oz. glasses, was $7.50. prt

Area Cideries

For those who have not acquired the taste for beer, or want to try something different yet traditional, there is a growing presence of hard Cider in the region. Cider is beer-strength apple alcohol. Although fairly sweet by default, many micro-brew varieties have a range from sweet to dry and champagne-like. Cider has a history almost as long as Beer and was much more common than at present. Johnny Appleseed planted cider apples, not Granny Smith. UCD has a Pomology program and a Fermentation Science major, so perhaps there is a graduate student project waiting to happen studying ciders.

Ace Cider is from Sebastopol. They have a lovely pub and brew everything in the back.

Fox Barrel Ciders are made in Colfax, about a scenic hour up I-80. There is a tasting room in Colfax. They can be bought at the Co-op.